As I try to recognize the hand of the Lord reaching out to bless me and my family, it is increasingly apparent that he does so constantly, since everything we are, have, and hope to be and have, are gifts from Him. Even with the situation with Papa and Nana in their declining health there have been moments of joy where both have responded to treatment and are desirous to improve and move beyond the moment. As stated in an earlier blog, they are the ones travelling through the fire of adversity at this moment, not me and not Jan. It is our privilege to serve under these circumstances and serve with patience and long suffering, something which Jan does without hardly realizing it. She has done so all her life.

Talk about a scripture that defines what I am doing in my prison assignment, check this out!
3rd Nephi 5:4-5 states: "And now it came to pass that when they had taken all the robbers(Gadianton) prisoners, insomuch that none did escape who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the word of God to be preached unto them: and as many as would repent of their sins and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty. But as many as there were who did not enter into a covenant, and who did still continue to have those secret murders in their hearts, yea, as many as were found breathing out threatenings against their brethren were condemned and punished according to the law."

From the start I realized that these souls Art and I are preaching to are worth saving. They too have committed 'grievous sins' of murder and all other sorts, but, there is salvation through the teaching of the Covenant. And what Covenant do we teach? the Covenant of the Atonement. The Savior agreed to voluntarily give his life and subject his spirit to the awful agony of Gethsemane and Golgotha so that all who would repent could be saved. the word all is important but the conditional process of repentance is the motivating force for all who come to the table of the Atonement. The Savior took upon him our sins (his part of the Covenant) and our part is to receive the Covenant by hearing, understanding, and living the law of Repentance(Our part). But according to Paul how shall they hear? "By the Preaching of the Word". This is exactly what Art and I are doing each Sunday. They must be taught so that when the time comes for them to receive the ordinances of the Covenant, they will be ready. They can and are repenting as fully as possible, and it has been a wonderful process to see unfolding before my eyes. There are some on the outside who say why waste your time, they will never change. As well it may be queried, why did the Savior go and preach to the Spirits in prison? Were, are, they a waste of time? Will they never change? The answer is clear, the call clarion, and I am grateful for the opportunity to "Preach" to these good souls who will 'clamor' to fully give their wills to the Father so they can be led by the Savior back into his presence.

What a marvelous scripture from the most correct book ever written!!!!